Conventional apparatus for compressing and wrapping wire coils typically includes a mandrel about which the wire coil is positioned with the mandrel being either vertically or horizontally disposed. In addition, such apparatus typically includes a press for compressing the wire coil about the mandrel. After the pressing operation is completed, one or more movable carriages, having binding units mounted thereon, are advanced toward the wire coil for binding the wire coil with a wire band or strip. In conventional apparatus, wire guide tracks are also provided in the mandrel which are arranged to cooperate with wire guide tracks in the binding units when they are advanced toward the wire coil. In this manner, the wire guide tracks of the mandrel cooperate with the wire guide tracks of the binding units to thereby extend binding wire completely about the wire coil so that the wrapping and binding can take place.
The disadvantages with such conventional apparatus are that it requires separate carriages and binding units which require a great deal of space. In addition, the apparatus is difficult to manipulate and is highly unaccessible because several carriages and binding units must be placed about the wire coil. Moreover, in such conventional apparatus, the wrapping and binding of the wire coil may be carried out about a portion of the wire coil which is not fully compressed.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a press binding machine which overcomes one or more of the aforesaid problems. Specifically, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a press-binding machine which is constructed to have the binding units disposed directly on the press arms of the machine to thereby simplify the construction and operation of the machine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a press-binding machine in which the wire guide tracks are provided on the concentrically-arranged press arms, as well as on the mandrel, which cooperate to form a closed guide path for guiding the binding wire about the wire coil to be wrapped and thereby simplifies the construction and operation of the press-binding machine.